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Health or Lobbying? Experts Say U.S. Gov't Caves to Meat Industry in New Dietary Guidelines
Health and environmental experts are accusing the Obama administration of caving to the meat industry in its new dietary guidelines. While the guidelines recommend consuming less sugar, they do not recommend eating less meat. This comes after an intensive lobbying campaign by the meat industry and despite recent findings by the World Health Organization that processed meat can cause cancer. We are joined by Lawrence Gostin, university professor and faculty director at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Public Health Law.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Health and environmental experts are accusing the Obama administration of caving in to the meat industry in its new dietary guidelines—the federal nutrition standards for public programs, school lunches, food labels and more. While the guidelines recommend consuming less sugar, they do not recommend eating less meat. This comes despite recent findings by the World Health Organization that processed meat causes cancer. Advocates are also condemning the government for dropping a proposed recommendation from the federal advisory committee that people eat an environmentally sustainable diet. This, too, would have led to recommendations to curb meat consumption, since meat production uses far more water than other forms of food production.
AMY GOODMAN: But their proposal came up against heavy lobbying from the meat industry. Groups, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the North American Meat Institute, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove the committee’s call to eat less meat. And their victory has a shelf life at least five years, with the next set of dietary guidelines not due out ’til 2021.
For more, we go to Lawrence Gostin, university professor and faculty director at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. He’s also director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Public Health Law.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Professor Gostin. Can you start off by saying what is the World Health Organization’s and scientific community’s opinions about consumption of meat?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: Well, certainly, processed meats, like hams, hot dogs, cold cuts that are cured and smoked, they are thought to be carcinogenic. There’s good evidence that they are carcinogenic and that they cause various cancers, like colon cancer and possibly stomach cancer. And so, the World Health Organization recommends that we should significantly limit our intake of those kinds of processed meats.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So does this only apply to processed meat, not red meat more generally?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: Well, in terms of the cancer-causing properties, processed meats—that there’s stronger evidence that processed meats cause cancers. But also other kinds of meats, other red meats—beef, pork—also are not very good for you in terms of cardiovascular health, and there is some evidence that they can cause cancer, particularly when Americans or others go into their barbecue or other places and really cook them so that they’re burnt, which may have cancer-causing properties to them, as well. But in any case, we know that a healthy diet doesn’t include a lot of either processed meats or red meats. You should be getting your protein from beans, tofu, poultry, and particularly fish.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer of the American Cancer Society, recently commented on the new dietary guidelines, saying, quote, "The science on the link between cancer and diet is extensive. By omitting specific diet recommendations, such as eating less red and processed meat, these guidelines miss a critical and significant opportunity to reduce suffering and death from cancer." Professor Gostin, talk now about how the USDA arrived at its dietary guidelines. They said eat less sugar, but they did not comment on meat. And what’s the significance of these guidelines? How do they affect the American diet?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: Yeah, well, let me just first talk about the sugar, because I wouldn’t give them a free pass on sugar, because what the scientific advisory committee recommended was a specific recommendation for Americans to eat less sugar-added drinks and beverages. Those were completely omitted. There’s just a vague reference to eat less sugar, but not specifically don’t drink sugar-sweetened drinks like colas and other kinds of sodas. So don’t give them a free pass. I think that the beverage industry also put a lot of pressure, as well as the meat industry.
But one certainly can see that the—that all of the science—the vast majority of nutritional scientists believe that red meat consumption should be significantly limited. The government’s own dietary advisory panel recommended that those—that that recommendation appear in the final guidelines, and yet they were absent. And it was very clear why they were absent: because there was a lot of political pressure put by special interests—in this case, the meat producers—that really just censored government recommendations. And that’s very sad, because there’s nothing more important than the health of Americans.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So how powerful would you say these lobbying groups are, the meat industry and beverages, as you pointed out?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: And the beverages. You know, I would say this: You know, we often—we think of tobacco as an evil industry, and it unquestionably is, and we call it Big Tobacco. But we also need to start to recognize that there’s something called Big Food. Of course, all food isn’t bad. We need to eat. I love to eat, heaven knows. But there’s all kinds of obfuscations, and the political influence of the food industry, particularly meat and the beverage industry—I could also mention alcohol and other industries—are very powerful. They tend to—we tend to think of them as good guys, but they’re not always good guys. And the diets that Americans eat, we think it’s a pure choice. But the kinds of labeling, marketing, producing of unhealthy processed foods of a wide variety—and here we’re talking about meat, quite rightly—is very important. But if you go to a supermarket or if you go to a cafeteria in the morning, you’re going to see all kinds of sausages and bacons, and people putting lots on their plate. That’s really bad for them. And we ought to tell people that.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Professor Gostin, can you talk about whether other countries advise their citizens differently on red meat consumption and the consumption of processed meats?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: You know, a lot of it depends upon whether or not the country has a strong industry in that area. So, if you’ve got—if you’ve got a country like the United States or Brazil or Argentina that have a large cattle and beef industry, you’re going to see a lot more pressure put on than you do in other countries. So, say, you know, the U.K. has some beef, but much less; their and the European guidelines do recommend eating less red meat. And so, it really depends upon how powerful the industry is, as to what happens.
And you did ask me the question, you know: Does it matter what the government recommends? Well, yes, it does. It gives the public the message, but it also influences school meals that we feed our children. These things are really important consequences for the future health of our nation, and we shouldn’t take them lightly.
AMY GOODMAN: The major purchases that are made by schools, for example. Finally, on the issue of the trade agreements, like the TPP, many are concerned that—about the issue of meat labeling. Would the TPP, for example, get in the way of talking about origins, country origins, of the meat you might be eating, Professor Gostin?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: Well, they might. You know, we don’t have—we don’t have the details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement yet, but there are lots of concerns. There are concerns about tobacco, alcohol, food labeling, and certainly meat. We just don’t know what protectionism is going to be put into there to protect large special interests. But I can tell you this, that we ought to look at trade agreements, both the Atlantic and Pacific trade agreements, through the eye of science and public health, and because, really, what our mothers told us, that nothing is more important than your health, is really true. And we need to make our representatives abide by that mantra.
AMY GOODMAN: Lawrence Gostin, we want to thank you for being with us, university professor, faculty director at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, also director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Public Health Law.
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: It’s a pleasure.
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As California Methane Leak Displaces Thousands, Will U.S. Regulate Natural Gas Sites Nationwide?
Today is day 84 of a runaway natural gas leak above Los Angeles that has emitted more than 150 million pounds of methane, described as the nation’s biggest environmental disaster since the BP oil spill. Nearly 3,000 families in the community of Porter Ranch have been relocated into temporary housing. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the area last week. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change 86 times more than carbon dioxide. At its peak, the leak has spewed the equivalent pollution of 4.5 million cars each day. On top of the impact to surrounding communities, the Porter Ranch leak has raised concerns about similar incidents across the state and around the country. There are 14 such natural gas storage facilities in California and more than 400 across the United States. Critics say they are plagued by ailing infrastructure and a lack of adequate regulation. We are joined by two guests: Tim O’Connor, director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Oil and Gas Program in California, and David Balen, president of Renaissance Homeowners Association, located just outside of the well site.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Coming up, health and environmental experts are accusing the Obama administration of caving to the meat industry in its new dietary guidelines. The guidelines recommend consuming less sugar, but they don’t recommend eating less meat. Does that have something to do with the massive lobbying campaign by the meat industry? Well, that’s coming up in our next segment—something to chew on. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. This is Democracy Now!
NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to the latest in what’s being called the nation’s biggest environmental disaster since the BP oil spill. Today is day 84 of a runaway natural gas leak above Los Angeles that’s emitted more than 150 million pounds of methane. Nearly 3,000 families in the community of Porter Ranch have been relocated into temporary housing. Two schools have been closed. The exact cause is unknown, but it’s believed that well casing was breached deep below the ground. Adding to the confusion, the methane is invisible to the eye, so residents can’t see the fumes causing them headaches, nausea, dizziness and nosebleeds. This is Matt Pakucko, co-founder of Save Porter Ranch.
MATT PAKUCKO: It’s just like in hell. I don’t know what’s going to happen day to day. I don’t know if I can work. I don’t know if I can breathe. When I feel sick, am I getting a cold, or am I like dying from this crap? It’s anxiety and apprehension all day, all day long. Can I go home? Should I leave? How—you know, well, you should see the stack of bills, of unopened mail, because I can’t pay them right now. Stuff is getting missed. My credit report is going pffft.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: The company responsible, Southern California Gas Company, is digging a new well into the ground so it can pour in mud and cement to contain the old one. New figures from the California Air Resources Board show methane levels have declined since their peak in late November. But SoCalGas says it could take two to three months to stop the breach. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the area last week. On Wednesday, California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer asked federal officials to investigate the leak and see if there’s a faster way to contain it. The Los Angeles city attorney and Los Angeles County have filed a lawsuit against SoCalGas.
AMY GOODMAN: Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change 86 times more than carbon dioxide. At its peak, the leak has spewed the equivalent pollution of 4.5 million cars each day. On top of impact to surrounding communities, the Porter Ranch leak has raised concerns about similar incidents across California and around the country. There are 14 such natural gas storage facilities in California and more than 400 across the U.S. Critics say they’re plagued by ailing infrastructure and lack of adequate regulation.
For more, we’re joined by two guests. Tim O’Connor is with us, director of California Oil and Gas at the Environmental Defense Fund. And David Balen is back with us, president of the Renaissance Homeowners Association, located just outside of the well site. He’s also a member of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council and board member of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood School.
Let’s start with Tim O’Connor. Lay out the scope of what has taken place so far. When we last talked about this with Erin Brockovich and David Balen, the governor had not declared a state of emergency. So, talk about what has happened since.
TIM O’CONNOR: Well, of course, we know that this leak has resulted in a state of emergency, really since day one. And since the order by the governor, the pollution has just continued to spew out of the well, like a volcano, up above the community there. And even after being reduced by over 60 percent, this still has the climate change relevance and significance of having more pollution than all of California’s oil and gas production emissions combined. It’s really quite phenomenal.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Tim O’Connor, could you also talk about what some of the health effects have been of this leak—
TIM O’CONNOR: Well, certainly—
NERMEEN SHAIKH: —on the Porter Ranch community?
TIM O’CONNOR: Well, certainly, thousands upon thousands of people throughout Porter Ranch and the San Fernando Valley have been feeling the effects of this, of this leak, for many months—and will continue to do so for many months more. And in addition to having acute impacts—nosebleeds and headaches and really bad problems right now—there’s a real worry about what—
AMY GOODMAN: Well, seems like we just took a hit on our Los Angeles satellite. We’re talking to Tim O’Connor of the Environmental Defense Fund, and we’ll also turn, in just a moment, to David Balen, who is one of the residents of the area. But let me turn to what state senator of California, Fran Pavley, said in a news conference during which she announced a new legislative package to tighten regulations on California’s natural gas industry in the wake of the methane leak.
SEN. FRAN PAVLEY: One of our goals is just two simple words: "never again." How can we make sure that this kind of tragedy doesn’t happen again? Today we’ll be proposing an urgency legislation to impose a moratorium on new gas injections and restrictions on vintage wells into the Aliso Canyon storage facility, until state agencies—by that I mean DOGGR, the CPUC and the CEC—and outside independent experts determine the site can be safely operated, and especially those older 1950s wells, make sure they do not pose a risk to public health and safety.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s California state Senator Fran Pavley. Tim O’Connor, can you respond?
TIM O’CONNOR: [inaudible] this facility safe, if it’s going to continue to be used. And we know that this facility, though, is just one of over 400 in the United States, and the business model has been to really not regulate these effectively until catastrophe strikes. We’ve got a huge catastrophe here in California, and we just can’t let these things leak methane and other pollutants into the air. It’s too important of a climate and too important of a public health issue.
AMY GOODMAN: David Balen, talk about what’s happened since you were last on. You weren’t being relocated. Describe the scene on the ground with you and your neighbors.
DAVID BALEN: Absolutely. Just recently, just last week, we were finally approved for relocation. My family and I are looking forward to moving into a new home and getting out of the contaminated area. It’s been quite trying for my family, as well as the other families throughout the community. You know, the neighborhoods are decreasing in numbers of people residing within the community. But we—on the other hand, we have, you know, large police out patrolling the area to keep the community safe.
AMY GOODMAN: In response to the proposed legislation, SoCalGas issued the following statement: quote, "The initiative announced [today] by Sen. Pavley and other legislators represents the start of a legislative process. SoCalGas appreciates the legislators’ interest in the topic and looks forward to participating in the public discussion. As we have since this incident began, SoCalGas stands willing and ready to cooperate with the Governor’s office, all state and local officials, and regulatory agencies." David Balen, do you think they’re—do you believe them?
DAVID BALEN: I was—I hope that’s true. I really do. I feel that they’ve—they’ve overcome to this issue. I mean, they’re caught in this—they’re caught in this turmoil. They need to get out of this situation as fast as possible. This is definitely causing the community grief. So, yeah, I do believe that.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Tim O’Connor, could you respond to how SoCalGas has responded to this leak?
TIM O’CONNOR: Well, I think it’s amazing, and also quite telling, that when we look at this company and this facility more broadly, we see things that are quite troubling and really symptomatic of the oil and gas industry across the United States. We have a major infrastructure problem. And over time, we’ve left it up to oil and gas companies to take care of infrastructure and to prevent leaks and to prevent integrity problems from arising. And this leak is just one example of what happens when infrastructure starts to fail. In fact, when inspectors went out on the site, they found 15 other wells that were leaking methane. And that was after this started. After the facility was under the microscope, its inspectors still went out and found many, many more leaks. We think that this is a problem in California and across our nation, and we need much tighter regulations and standards on facilities like SoCalGas.
AMY GOODMAN: Tim O’Connor and David Balen, we want to thank you for being with us. Tim O’Connor, Environmental Defense Fund; David Balen, Porter Ranch resident. We’ll continue to follow what’s being described as the worst environmental disaster since the BP oil spill.
When we come back from break, we’ll talk about the new dietary guidelines. What are they recommending? What they have remained silent about? Stay with us.
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Jane Goodall on the Threat of Animal Agriculture, GOP Climate Change Denial & Why She's a Vegetarian
Jane Goodall is one of the world’s leading voices on the issue of climate change and protecting the environment. A renowned primatologist, Goodall is best known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and baboons. At the U.N. climate summit in Paris last month, Goodall talked Republican climate change denial, the link between diet and climate change, her hopes "to save the rainforests" from corruption and intensive farming, and how climate concerns drove her to be a vegetarian.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: As we wrap up today, we turn to a renowned scientist, one of the world’s leading voices on the issue of climate change and protecting the environment: Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, best known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and baboons. I had a chance to speak to her last month in Paris at the U.N. climate change summit.
JANE GOODALL: I’m here really to talk about the importance of saving the rainforest as a way of mitigating climate change, because I know more about that than many of the other issues, although I talk about all of them.
AMY GOODMAN: Why is it important to save the rainforest?
JANE GOODALL: Because they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And as we cut them down and burn them, that CO2 is released back from the trees, the leaves and also from the forest soils. And about 50 percent of our tropical rainforests have already gone. They’re going at a tremendously fast rate. And even when they are protected in many countries, because of corruption, the power of the corporations, the worship of money and profit, the protection isn’t always saving the forest.
AMY GOODMAN: You have recently been in the United States. You know there’s a presidential election going on there.
JANE GOODALL: Heinous.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about, especially in the Republican Party, the presidential candidates’, like the leading candidate Donald Trump’s, denial that climate change is caused by human beings overwhelmingly?
JANE GOODALL: Well, I listened to Donald Trump saying, you know, that he doesn’t believe that we’ve caused or are causing climate change, and some of the other right-wing leaders, and I just ask myself, do they really believe what they’re saying? Because it seems so very obvious. If you read the facts, I don’t see how you can come to any other conclusion but that it’s our misuse of fossil fuels, the emissions—from agriculture, from industry, from households—the vast impact that’s being made by this intensive farming of animals. And in order to feed the billions and billions of cows and pigs and chickens, even if you don’t care about the cruelty, even if you refuse to admit that these are individuals with feelings, who feel pain and have emotions, even if you don’t admit that, you have to admit huge areas of forest are cut down to grow grain to feed them. Intensive cattle grazing is turning forests to woodland, to scrubland. And food in one end, gas out both ends, that’s methane. And that’s an even more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. It’s about 36 percent of all methane emissions come from this intensive farming.
AMY GOODMAN: Of cows.
JANE GOODALL: Of, well, cows, pigs, the whole thing.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about how diet fuels climate change and why you’re a vegetarian?
JANE GOODALL: I’m a vegetarian because—partly because, you know, I respect animals. I know they’re all individuals. And I wouldn’t eat a cow any more than I would eat my dog. That’s the truth. And pigs are more intelligent than many dogs. But, you know, in addition, when you know the impact on the environment of this intensive, intensifying eating of meat, it’s also true that being a vegetarian is more healthy. And so, everything combined, I would be a vegan if I was in one place. But you have to be a bit careful if you’re a vegan to get, you know, the right sort of nutrients and so forth. And as I’m 300 days a year on the road, I just—vegetarian is sometimes hard, but I do stick to that.
AMY GOODMAN: What have you learned as a leading primatologist, expert in chimpanzees and baboons, that most of us don’t know?
JANE GOODALL: I think it really started a long time ago. When I went to study chimpanzees in 1960, I hadn’t even been to college. And when I went to Cambridge two years later, because my—
AMY GOODMAN: Where did you go to study them?
JANE GOODALL: Cambridge—oh, I went to Gombe National Park in Tanzania. It was Tanganyika back then, all that time ago in 1960. And after I’d been there for about two years, my mentor, the late Louis Leakey, told me I had to get a degree. He got me a place in Cambridge straight into a Ph.D., because he said there was no time for a B.A.
And imagine my shock when these erudite professors, of whom I was a little nervous, told me I had done everything wrong; that I should have given the chimpanzees numbers, not names; that I couldn’t talk about them having personalities, minds capable of problem solving and certainly not emotions. Why? Because those were unique to us. And, in fact, back then, it was generally thought that there was a sharp line between us and the rest of the animals, and it was a difference of kind. And it’s so clearly a difference of degree, you know, with the same building blocks of life that we can trace through evolution coming up from very primitive sort of creatures and ending up in our bodies, too.
So, basically, the chimpanzees opened the door for a new way of thinking about animals, to admit that we are not the only beings with personality, mind and emotions, and that it makes us ask the question: But we are different, so what’s the biggest difference? Development of the intellect. How is it possible that the most intellectual creature that’s ever walked the planet is destroying its only home?
AMY GOODMAN: As you spend time at the U.N. climate change summit 2015, the one that has been considered the most important after Kyoto, because it’s supposed to be a binding agreement—though in the United States President Obama says it can’t be called a binding treaty, because then he’d have to put it through Congress—what have you been most struck by?
JANE GOODALL: I think—you know, I’ve been to four other COPs, and I think the thing that’s different is that there is more of a sense of urgency, and there are far more people accepting the fact that climate change is for real. I mean, if you just look around the world on almost any day, then you see what’s happening. You know, England—half of England is flooded. People are dying in the DRC from floods. Go down to Namibia, and it’s getting drier and drier and drier. And we get these terrible storms. I mean, even in the U.K. last week, a plane was diverted because the wind was so strong, it couldn’t land. And, yes, these things have always happened, but they’re happening faster and faster. The permafrost under the Tibetan Plateau is melting way faster than science predicted. And if that releases all the methane into the atmosphere, it’s going to just pfff up climate change. And it’s happening. And it’s happening in Alaska, and it’s happening in Greenland.
AMY GOODMAN: We were talking to climate scientist Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre, and he was criticizing climate scientists, saying they’re censoring themselves, that no matter what is said, it’s actually much worse.
JANE GOODALL: They don’t dare. They’re not brave enough. It’s always—they want to sort of be very cautious and say "if this" and "if that" and "perhaps" and "maybe." But it’s just the ordinary person who cares, especially if you travel like I do. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived long enough to see the change and to see how in the last 15 years or so it’s just accelerated in the most terrifying way.
AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking about the globe, the fate of the planet. How can one person make a difference?
JANE GOODALL: Well, the thing is, it’s not about one person, can they make a difference. Everybody every day does make a difference. And if we think about the consequences of the choices we make—what we buy, what we eat, what we wear—and we start making the right ethical choices, then when that’s multiplied a thousand, a million, a billion, several billion times, we see the world moving towards change. So the most important thing is to give people hope. I have seen areas that have been destroyed that have come back to be beautiful again and support life. Nature is resilient. Animal species on the brink of extinction can be given another chance.
AMY GOODMAN: Like where?
JANE GOODALL: Animal—well, I’m thinking of different—I wrote a whole book called Hope for Animals and Their World, and I picked species that were—you know, the prime example in New Zealand was just two birds, one male and one female, and a scientist who said, "I’m not giving up." And he—and these were in the wild. And there’s now 500 of them on four different islands.
AMY GOODMAN: Thanks so much, Jane Goodall.
JANE GOODALL: Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist, best known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and baboons. I spoke to her last month in Paris, France, at the U.N. climate change summit. To see all of our coverage, our two weeks of coverage there, you can go to democracynow.org.
And this news just in: The 88th annual Oscar nominations have just been announced. The nominees for best documentary are Amy, about Amy Winehouse; What Happened, Miss Simone?, directed by Liz Garbus; The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer; Cartel Land; and Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
That does it for our show. By the way, we have some job openings. Among them, Democracy Now! is hiring a director of finance and operations as well as a director of development to lead our—to lead our fundraising efforts. You can go to democracynow.org for more information and send your résumés in.
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A Bad Week for Warmongers: U.S.-Iran Quickly Resolve Sailors' Breach Just Before Nuke Deal Kicks In
This week is not looking kind to opponents of the Obama administration’s diplomacy with Iran. On Wednesday, Iran freed 10 U.S. sailors less than 24 hours after their two U.S. ships entered Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. This comes just days before the Iran nuclear deal is set to take effect, easing sanctions and freeing up billions in frozen Iranian money. Is this a new era for U.S.-Iran ties? We are joined by Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council, author of the forthcoming book, "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Legacy of Diplomacy."
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Between the quick release of 10 detained U.S. servicemembers and a nuclear deal set to take effect, this week is not looking kind to opponents of the Obama administration’s diplomacy with Iran. On Wednesday, Iran freed 10 U.S. sailors less than 24 hours after their two ships entered Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. initially blamed mechanical error but have now walked back that claim. The boats were able to leave Iran under their own power. Speaking to Iranian state television shortly before they were freed, a sailor said the crew made a mistake.
SAILOR: It was a mistake. That was our fault. And we apologize for our mistake. The Iranian behavior was fantastic while we were here. We thank you very much for your hospitality and your assistance.
INTERVIEWER: Did you have a special problem?
SAILOR: We had no problems, sir.
AMY GOODMAN: Again, the sailor made that statement while still in Iranian custody. Whatever the reason for the crew’s entering Iranian waters, Iran said it’s accepted the U.S. explanation. Its quick cooperation came in stark contrast to a storm of panic and outrage among politicians, pundits and the corporate media. After the sailors were detained, Republican senator, presidential candidate Marco Rubio said Iran is, quote, "testing the boundaries of this administration’s resolve," while, later, front-runner Donald Trump posted on Twitter, quote, "We want our hostages back NOW!"—even though the sailors had by then been released. Some pundits accused Iran of acting, quote, "hostile," while others wondered if the U.S. and Iran were on the verge of a new hostage crisis. But speaking Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry thanked Iran for the sailors’ swift release and said the two countries’ recent diplomacy has paid off.
SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY: I also want to thank the Iranian authorities for their cooperation and quick response. These are always situations which, as everybody here knows, have an ability, if not properly guided, to get out of control. And I’m appreciative for the quick and appropriate response of the Iranian authorities. All indications suggest or tell us that our sailors were well taken care of, provided with blankets and food, and assisted with their return to the fleet earlier today. And I think we can all imagine how a similar situation might have played out three or four years ago. And in fact, it is clear that today this kind of issue was able to be peacefully resolved, and officially resolved, and that is a testament to the critical role that diplomacy plays in keeping our countries safe, secure and strong.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Kerry and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, spoke by phone for hours to resolve the sailors’ detention. The quick resolution also stands in contrast to Iran’s detention of 15 British marines under similar circumstances in 2007. The arrests sparked a 13-day international standoff that saw heightened tensions between Iran and the West.
The U.S. incident comes just days before a landmark nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S. and other world powers is set to take effect. The International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to report as early as Friday that Iran has met its initial obligations. That will potentially mean the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of at least $50 billion in Iranian funds overseas cut off by Western governments.
AMY GOODMAN: Taken together, these two developments may signal a new era for U.S.-Iran relations, much to the chagrin of those who favor the path of hostility and war.
For more, we go to Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council, the author of the forthcoming Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Legacy of Diplomacy.
Trita, welcome back to Democracy Now!
TRITA PARSI: Thank you for having me.
AMY GOODMAN: First of all, can you explain what actually happened? The U.S. immediately said, yes, they had entered Iranian waters, the two U.S. ships, they said, because of mechanical problems. But now they seem to be walking that back. Can you explain how it is these sailors ended up in Iranian custody?
TRITA PARSI: Well, we don’t know exactly, but what the sailors said in an interview with the Iranian TV was that they actually knew that they were entering Iranian waters—their instruments did indicate that—but they didn’t get out in time, I guess. But bottom line is, though, that it’s really fascinating that the U.S., from the very outset, made clear that they had gotten into Iranian waters by mistake. And this is a big difference between what happened this time around and what happened with the British sailors, because the British sailors denied that they had entered into Iranian waters, and later on, a British parliamentary inquiry actually established that the Iranian narrative actually was correct: They did—they had entered Iranian waters. And that thing took 13 days to resolve, and, thankfully, that was resolved peacefully, as well. But what we—
AMY GOODMAN: That was back in 2007.
TRITA PARSI: Correct. But what happened here is record time. I mean, they were not held for more than 16 hours. The fact that the critics of the administration think that they have anything to stand on to criticize is quite astonishing.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Trita Parsi, could you also explain how the incident was resolved so quickly?
TRITA PARSI: Well, everything that has happened between the United States and Iran in the last 35 years have happened in the context of, A, almost no communication between the two sides and, B, almost no trust between the two sides. What happened this time around, though, is quite a different context. There is a little bit of a trust between the two sides, because of the nuclear deal and because of the diplomatic engagement that has taken place in the last two years, and, B, because there was intense communication. Zarif and Kerry spoke to each other five times during the 16-hour period to get this resolved. And the result is that it was resolved in record time. And it’s a clear indication that engagement works and that those who said that this nuclear deal would lead to Iran becoming more aggressive have a lot of egg on their face right now, because what we’ve seen is the opposite, that things actually got diffused very quickly.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, some Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for the nuclear deal in light of the incident. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described the detention of the sailors as, quote, "an indication of where the hell we’re going." He was speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa.
DONALD TRUMP: You heard what happened: Iran took over two of our boats. They said they’re going to release them. Oh, isn’t that nice? They’re going to release them. This isn’t the same country. When I hear—that just happened. Just happened. It literally just happened, and I think it’s not so good. It’s just—it’s just an indication of where the hell we’re going. I mean, hopefully they get released, and fast, but it seems to be an indication of where we’re going. That Iran deal is the dumbest deal I think I’ve ever seen.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Even after the sailors were released, Trump tweeted, quote, "Iran toys with U.S. days before we pay them, ridiculously, billions of dollars. Don’t release money. We want our hostages back NOW!" Trita Parsi, could you respond to the comments made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump?
TRITA PARSI: Well, I think what we saw here is that the administration did not panic, and they did not enter into any bluster, and as a result, this issue was resolved peacefully within 16 hours. If the next president of the United States approaches these issues—and not just with Iran, but with other countries, as well—in the manner that some of the GOP candidates have said that they would, then most likely not only would the sailors not have been released this quickly, but potentially this would have escalated into an actual conflict.
When Admiral Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was leaving his post, he did a tour around the United States, and he was asked what is the thing that he’s most worried about. He said that one of the things he’s really worried about is that there would be some sort of an incident in the Persian Gulf between the United States and Iran, an accident, but because of the lack of communication, there would be no ability to de-escalate matters, and the lack of communication, in and of itself, would lead to misjudgments and miscalculations, and a small incident would lead to a major escalation in the conflict.
Now we had communication, and instead of getting into that nightmare scenario that Mike Mullen was talking about, we got into the opposite. The issue was quickly defused and resolved. And it’s astonishing that the opponents of the administration think that they have something to criticize. I don’t think there’s ever been a situation of this kind in which it got resolved so quickly between two countries that otherwise still do not have particularly good relations.
AMY GOODMAN: MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, who was formerly a conservative congressman, tweeted Tuesday, "Hey Iran, you have exactly 300 days left to push a US president around. Enjoy it while you can. After that, there will be hell to pay." If you could respond to that, Trita Parsi, and also talk about what is about to happen? The $50 billion in Iranian assets that have been seized will be unfrozen, often referred to, as you heard Trump saying, that we’re paying them this money.
TRITA PARSI: Well, as to Scarborough’s tweets, it goes back to the idea that by being tough and speaking with all this bluster, etc., we’re actually going to have an effective foreign policy. We did try that during the Bush years, and we saw exactly what happened with the Iranian nuclear program: It accelerated very, very quickly. During George Bush’s term, the Iranians went from 164 to 8,000 centrifuges. For the first time now, as a result of this deal, they’re cutting that back extensively. And they’re also giving up a lot of their low-enriched uranium, and they’re giving the international community much greater access into what’s happening in the program. That’s thanks to diplomacy, not thanks to bluster. That’s thanks to making compromises rather than just making threats. It’s easy to send out a tweet, but if you want to have a responsible foreign policy, it cannot be based on these type of principles, because we know exactly where that leads to. It leads to either no solution or actually a military confrontation.
As to the question of what will happen in the next couple of days, the assets that belong to Iran, that were frozen as part of the effort of the administration to put pressure on Iran, will be released. Whether it’s $50 billion or a little bit less, I’m not entirely sure. Whether it will be released in batches or all at the same time, I think—I’m not entirely clear on, either. But bottom line is, the Iranians are going to get some things in the next couple of days as a result of the fact that they have put cement into the core of the Iraq reactor, which means that they cannot use that reactor to produce plutonium that could be used for a nuclear weapon. They have given unprecedented access to the International Atomic Energy Agency to make sure that their program is fully transparent. They have cut down their number of centrifuges almost two-thirds. They have given up almost the entire stockpile of LEU. As a result of all of these measures, some sanctions are going to be lifted on Iran, and some of Iran’s assets are going to be returned to Iran. That’s what diplomacy looks like. There has to be a compromise. Both sides have to give something. If we think that we can conduct foreign policy by just dictating to other countries exactly what they have to do, and never give anything from our own end, then we’re going to end up exactly with the same type of a foreign policy result that George Bush produced.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, before we conclude, I’d like to ask about Iran’s position in the region. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, marking its largest mass execution in decades. In response, protesters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, torched part of the Saudi Embassy. Saudi Arabia responded by severing diplomatic ties with Iran. The Sunni-led nations of Bahrain and Sudan soon followed suit. The United Arab Emirates downgraded ties with Iran, while Kuwait recalled its ambassador there. Last week, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Saudi Arabia would also end air traffic and trade relations with Iran.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR: We decided to cut off all diplomatic relations with Iran. We will also be cutting off all air traffic to and from Iran. We will be cutting off all commercial relations with Iran, and we will have a travel ban against people traveling to Iran.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Trita Parsi, could you comment on the significance of this, the severing of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
TRITA PARSI: It is significant, and it’s very problematic, because as long as the Saudi-Iranian tensions increase and continue in the manner that they have, it’s going to be very difficult to get a peaceful solution to what’s happening in Syria right now, Yemen and elsewhere. The competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran is having a destabilizing effect on the entire region, particularly where there already is conflict, so that’s a very big negative. The Iranians made a huge mistake—this was completely unacceptable—when they attacked the Saudi Embassy, and then they’re paying a price for it, because the Saudis have now a greater ability to try to isolate Iran in the region and get a lot of Arab countries and others to side with Saudi Arabia.
But what the real reason is behind the Saudi conduct, though, is that the Saudis are very worried about the potential for improved relations between the United States and Iran. They’re very worried that Iran will be able to be rehabilitated with the lifting of sanctions and improved political relations with Washington and Europe. And as a result, Iran will gain significant political influence and standing in the region at the expense of Saudi Arabia. And much—
AMY GOODMAN: Trita Parsi, the significance of the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, if you could? And also, was he beheaded? Did Saudi Arabia behead him, as they did many of those in that mass execution?
TRITA PARSI: As I understand it, he was not beheaded. But I think it’s quite clear that the Saudi government knew very well that if it executed Sheikh Nimr—and many countries, including Western countries, had pleaded with Saudi Arabia not to do this—they knew very well that it would spark some form of a crisis. And it does appear as if the Saudis wanted some form of a crisis, precisely in order to complicate matters in the region, particularly between the United States and Iran. There has been several attempts from the Saudi side to make sure that they create small crises in order to slow down or perhaps completely halt what seems to be a trend of improved U.S.-Iran relations, precisely because they’re fearful of that leading to greater—lesser significance for Saudi Arabia in the region and the United States having new options, not being so dependent on Saudi Arabia as it has been in the past decades.
AMY GOODMAN: Also on Friday, executives from 25 news organizations, including the Associated Press, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to press Iran to release the jailed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. What is the latest on this, and why does Iran continue to hold him?
TRITA PARSI: What the Iranians are doing with not just Jason, but with many other Iranian Americans and others, is really unacceptable, and it’s a complete violation of the human rights of these individuals, who have not been able to have due access to lawyers and be able to actually even know what the sentence against them is or even what the charges against them are. And Jason is just one out of many examples in which the Iranian government are violating human rights. There seems to be some pretty extensive negotiations behind the scenes, however, right now to be able to get this issue resolved. We may see some outcome of this in the next couple of weeks. But the point is that Jason and many of these others should never have been arrested in the first place. But if they can be released soon, of course, that is the best thing that can happen, particularly for the families that have been suffering tremendously throughout all of this.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Trita Parsi, we thank you for being with us, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council, author of A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran. His new book will be called Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Legacy of Diplomacy.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we’re going to the state of emergency, that is, the massive methane leak in California. Stay with us.
... Read More →Indonesia: Bombings and Gunfire Rock Jakarta
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a series of explosions that ripped through the Indonesian capital Jakarta today. At least seven people, including five alleged attackers, have died and 20 people were injured in the blasts and ensuing gun battles between police and militants. Four other suspects were arrested. The attack included at least five explosions in downtown Jakarta. A police traffic post and a Starbucks cafe were hit. Indonesian President Joko Widodo called it an "act of terror."
President Joko Widodo: "We condemn these attacks that have disturbed the peace of society, and we want to spread this message to the nation and society. I ordered the authorities to catch those responsible for the attacks and even those out there that are involved in this. We, as a country, we should not be frightened by what has happened, this act of terror. We should stay calm, because everything will be under control."
Turkey: Car Bomb Blast Kills Six in Southeast
In Turkey, a car bomb blast has killed at least six people and wounded 39 after hitting a southeastern police headquarters. No one has taken responsibility for the attack, but the Turkish government is blaming the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as thePKK. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 academics, including Noam Chomsky, have signed a letter calling for the end to the Turkish government’s widespread crackdown on Kurdish communities amid renewed fighting between Turkish security forces and thePKK. Under the banner Academics for Peace, the letter states: "[Turkey] has attacked these settlements with heavy weapons and equipment that would only be mobilized in wartime. ... This deliberate and planned massacre is in serious violation of Turkey’s own laws and international treaties to which Turkey is a party."
China Formally Arrests Leading Human Rights Lawyer Wang Yu
In China, authorities have formally arrested one of the country’s most prominent female human rights lawyers. Wang Yu has been held by authorities since July 2015, when China initiated a national crackdown against human rights attorneys. Her family received a notice of her formal arrest this week. She is accused of inciting subversion and "causing a disturbance."
Egypt Sentences 3 Journalists & 1 Press Freedom Activist to Prison
In Egypt, three journalists and one press freedom activist have been sentenced to prison on charges of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and "publishing false news." Mohamed Adly with the independent newspaper Tahrir, Hamdy Mokhtar with the website El-Shaab el-Jadeed, freelance journalist Sherif Ashraf, and press freedom activist Aboubakr Khallaf have all been sentenced to three years behind bars. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports Egypt is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists.
Argentina: Thousands Protest Ouster of Radio Host Víctor Hugo Meanwhile, in Argentina, renowned radio host Víctor Hugo Morales has been ousted from his long-running morning program on Radio Continental amid a crackdown on press freedom under the new right-wing president, Mauricio Macri. Executives ordered Morales off the air Monday, saying his contract had been terminated. Speaking on a colleagues’ program minutes later, Morales said: "This takes place amid a suffocating, terrible situation for democracy and for freedom of expression in Argentina." Morales’ firing comes amid massive protests against President Macri’s proposed media reforms, which include repealing a law outlawing monopolies by media companies. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Buenos Aires Tuesday in opposition to Macri’s reforms and in defense of radio host Morales.
Al Jazeera America to Terminate Broadcast and Digital Operations
In more media news, Al Jazeera America has announced it will terminate broadcast and digital operations in the United States by April. The U.S.-focused branch of the Qatar-based network began in 2012, when Al Jazeera purchased Current TV in 2012 from former Vice President Al Gore. The TV channel has suffered from low ratings since its launch. Al Jazeera says it will continue Al Jazeera English and expand digital operations in the U.S.
Additional U.S. Special Operations Forces Arrive in Iraq
Pentagon officials have confirmed a new force of U.S. special operations troops has arrived in Iraq. Speaking at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the new troops are working with Iraqi forces to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Pentagon officials first announced this new deployment of special operations troops in December, saying they would likely number around 100 soldiers.
Pakistan: 5 Killed in 2016's First Reported CIA Drone Strike
In Pakistan, at least five people have been killed in this year’s first reported CIA drone strike. The attack hit a house in North Waziristan Saturday. Pakistani officials say a Pakistan Taliban commander was among the dead.
Nebraska: Omaha Mosque Attacked for 4th Time in One Year
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is demanding an FBI hate crime investigation into an attack and desecration at a mosque in Nebraska. Security footage shows two masked men threw rocks at the glass doors of the Islamic Center of Omaha and left bacon wrapped around its doors Tuesday. Pork is considered forbidden or "haram" in Islam. It’s the fourth attack on this Omaha mosque within the last year. A recent study finds hate crimes against Muslim Americans and U.S. mosques have tripled since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino.
Ted Cruz Failed to Disclose Goldman Loan for 2012 Senate Campaign
In news from the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is under fire for failing to disclose a Goldman Sachs loan used to finance his 2012 Senate bid in Texas. The New York Times reports Cruz’s personal financial records show that in 2012 Cruz took out loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank totaling $1 million. Cruz’s Senate campaign did not report either of the loans in its filings with the Federal Election Commission. Candidates are required to disclose the source of money they borrow to finance their campaigns. Cruz’s wife, Heidi Cruz, is currently on leave as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. The revelations come ahead of tonight’s Republican presidential campaign debate in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The Nation Magazine Endorses Bernie Sanders for President
In other campaign news, The Nation magazine has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president. This marks only the third time in the magazine’s 150-year history that it has endorsed a candidate in the Democratic primary.
Michigan: At Least 10 Have Died from Legionnaires' Amid Water Crisis
In Flint, Michigan, officials confirm at least 10 people have died from Legionnaires’ disease amid a surge in infections caused by the water-borne bacteria. The announcement of the uptick in infections and deaths over the last two years comes as Flint is already under a state of emergency over lead-poisoned water. The poisoning began after an unelected emergency manager appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder switched the city’s water source to the corrosive Flint River in a bid to save money. Residents have reported lasting health impacts, including cognitive impairment. Governor Snyder, who is responsible for appointing Flint’s emergency manager, announced the increase in Legionnaires’ disease Wednesday.
Gov. Rick Snyder: "Over the course of 2014 and 2015, we saw a spike in Legionnaires’ disease within Genesee County. If you go back to the prior years, I believe the numbers for the preceding years before 2014, we had six cases, 11 cases, 13 cases and eight cases. In 2014, we had 45 cases. And then in 2015, there were 42 cases."
Officials have stopped short of tying the uptick in Legionnaires’ cases to the water poisoning, citing a lack of evidence. This comes as the National Guard arrived in Flint to distribute clean water. Flint residents are calling for Governor Snyder’s resignation and arrest over the water crisis.
New York: Gov. Cuomo State of State Disrupted by Assemblyman
And in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State was disrupted Wednesday by New York City Assemblyman Charles Barron, who criticized Cuomo for failing to address high levels of poverty. Barron represents East New York, a low-income neighborhood in Brooklyn. In a grainy cellphone video shot by an audience member, Barron can be heard saying, "This is not real. Come to the neighborhoods."
Assemblymember Charles Barron: "This is not real. This is not real. Come to the neighborhoods. The poverty is high. He has a billion-dollar surplus, and the poverty is high."
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"The Stateless and the State of the Union" Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan
President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address Tuesday night before an almost-full joint session of Congress. Almost full because of the empty seat next to first lady Michelle Obama. The White House stated, "We leave one seat empty in the First Lady’s State of the Union Guest Box for the victims of gun violence who no longer have a voice—because they need the rest of us to speak for them. To tell their stories. To honor their memory."
That symbol, the empty chair, creates a moment to reflect on who else wasn’t seated in that august gallery in the Capitol, like the undocumented immigrants rounded up in the New Year’s raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hundreds, if not thousands (the number is not known), of people, mostly from the Central American nations of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, have been arrested in raids across the country. Entire families, single mothers with children and individuals, many of whom fled for their lives from violence in their home countries, now are being swept up by armed federal agents and prepared for deportation.
I asked Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards, now running for the Senate, about the ICE raids. "I think it’s irresponsible," she told me. "this sort of extreme enforcement in communities that, in the congressional district that I represent, is causing so much great fear–children not going to school, people not going to work, being afraid to be seen and visible in their communities." Her sentiments have been echoed on the campaign trail by both Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The raids have provoked protests across the country. Last Friday, seven people were arrested in New York City in front of the local ICE headquarters, chaining themselves together and blocking traffic. Among those arrested was Claudia Palacios. Her story is remarkable. She was born in Texas and served for five years in the U.S. Marines, with two years in Okinawa and several years around the world deployed with a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Even though she served her country honorably, this U.S.-born military veteran has documentation issues of her own.
Her mother was undocumented. Like many pregnant women in her situation, she was afraid to go to the hospital. Claudia was born with the help of a midwife in a trailer park. It was the midwife who signed her birth certificate. "That birth certificate was recognized by the military in order for me to join the service," she told us on the "Democracy Now!" news hour. "Once I was an active-duty service member, I applied with the Department of State for a passport, and they failed to recognize my birth certificate." Now, out of the Marines without her U.S. military I.D. badge and no passport, "I’m basically stateless," she explained. "I can’t leave my country."
The empty chair was on the first lady’s right. On her left sat decorated war veteran Oscar Vazquez. The same White House press statement that described the symbolism of the chair said that Vasquez "came to the United States as a child in search of a better life. From age 12 when he moved from Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona, Oscar excelled in the classroom. ... But without legal status, he couldn’t secure a job to provide for his new wife and newborn child." After receiving a green card, his biography continued, "Oscar enlisted in the Army to serve the country he loves and calls home. Oscar served one tour in Afghanistan and is now a proud U.S. citizen."
Claudia Palacios was not satisfied: "I think it’s a mockery to have him be a guest, an honored guest, at the State of the Union," she explained, "and then not even initiate the conversation of immigration and how we are going to deal with this or how we’re going to create sanctuaries for people that are being targeted."
The victims of gun violence deserve a seat, they deserve to have their stories told, and the president is to be commended for taking that stand. But the people in this country who have fled gun violence, whether from Central America, or Syria or Afghanistan or Iraq, they, too, deserve a seat and a place of sanctuary. That will make the state of the union strong.
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